Regulating device for height aircraft engines with two compressors



y Dec. 22, 1942. y yA. MULLER I 2,305,810

REGULATING DEVICE FOR HEIGHT Y.IRCRAF' ENGINES WITH TWO kCOMPRESSORS Filed Feb. 5, 1939 INVENTOR.

fil/fw] /Wi//f Patented Deer-22, 1942 UNITED STT-.E'S- PATENT ori-lcs REGULA'L'ING lfa-305,310

DEVICE' Fon .HEIGHT AIRCRAFT ENGINESTWITH CQM- BRESSORS Alfredy Mller, VMunich,'('Jfermanyg vested in the .Alien Property Custodian Application February s,-1939,rseria1No. 254,425 In`- GermanyrDecember .12, 1937 8 Claims. .(CI. -60-13) With a set `of exhaust gas'turbov-.superchargers for charging an vaircraft'. enginerit .isewell known that the output of the exhaust gas 'turbinerises as the counterpressure of the' -atmosphereA Vbecomes lower with 'the ir'icre'asing"` height 'oil' iiight,

since the useful pressure dropr'becornesf greater.4

Further the automatic regulationv of the ,exhaust complete l`errangement and the construction .of

' the Vregulating mechanism.

As` seenfrom the drawing, the invention has been applied to. aradial type. aircraftengine in A:which a supercharger `I, which 4may be termed a @ground supercharger, is constantly drivably gas turbine by means of a yregulator 'responsiveVV to charging pressureis known, whereinv thefex'- haust gases are utilised more 'or less for. .irn-

pinging upon the turbine according to, the 'output required at any time, crare alternately exhausted into the atmosphere. y

For more eiectively utilizingian exhaustr gas turbine, as is the case 'of flights at considerable altitude, it has already been proposed to operate the exhaust gas turbine only after a considerable altitude Vhas been reached, land up to this altitude to compress Ithe charging air for the internal combustion engine by means oi supercharger driven mechanicallyfrom thecrankshaft of the engine.

connected by any.. suitable means to an engine partially diagrammatically indicated. at 2. Ac-

' cordingly, air under pressure `is constantly sup- .1()

`plied Vfrom the supercharger I to the cylinders of theeng'ine 2 ltllirougha suitable conduit 24,

while-'the vair 'supplyxto the' supercharger 1I is controlled by a throttle valv'ej3,,here'lllustrated as'being of the fbutterliy type. lThe valve 3 The invention is `based Aon-.an'arrangement'` whereinu'there is provided a superchargr driven by an exhaust gastuzbine, .and a'supercharger driven mechanically from-.the crankshaft of theY engine, and the objectV of theinvention Ais to provide an automatic regulation of the two ranges of the charging pressure, that' isfto say. both of the range of chargingpressure DIOducedfby is in' turn actuated 'by a'lever l `in a manner Through a secondY lever; 5 vslida-blyconnected in the slotted guide [Gonone end of the rod 1, Ywhich is in turn pivto be described hereinafter.

otally `connected to the ,rod '8 yacting upon subsidiary connecting lever 9, the valve 3 is interconnected with a-throttle valve Ig which controlsthe now of the engine exhaust gasesthrough the exhaust by-passpipe I I.

.Theflow ofj harging airv for the' engine 2 may betracedfrorn the air .intake I 2 and supercharger lI"3"','iorming part of an exhaust 'gas turbo-supercharger combination I3, conduit I1, a. cooling device I4, the supercharger I `and thenthrough the Supercharger driven mechanicallyffromthe .l

engine, andthe range ofcharging.-..pressure wherein both superchargers'together produce the Y necessary pressure, in as V simple a wayas possible.

For carrying the idea of the invention, the regulating linkage `is so constructedgthat it enables automatic regulation to be eiiected both of the supercharger `driven `by Lthe exhaust gas Vturbine as also of the-supercharger constantly driven by the engine, automatically in. accord-V ance withv one regulator :responsive `to charging pressure. V .Y

Through the .automatic regulation of two separatelydrive'nV superchargers bya common regulating device, a properly timed sequential operation of each supercharger is assured. f

conduitsZl tothe engine cylinders. Obviously,

,if vonly'the superchargerV I is frunnlng, the air therefor will bemerely drawn through the super'- charger Iv3 andfthe cooling .device Il, whereasV v '.if the exhaust gas turbo-supercharger 'Ii is also running, the air reaching the supercharger I will be under an initial compression.

The exhaust gases for driving the turbo-supercharger I3 are shown as gathered in a collecting ring diagrammatically indicated at I5 which is y interconnected with the turbine I3' through suitable means such as a pipe I6. It will-be clear to those skilled in this art that actuation of the turbofsupercharger I3 will depend upon the With theiforegoing and other objects in view I which Willappear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of'ffparts and' in the details iofvc'oni struction hereinafter described andenimed.

In the'accompanyingdrawing:

The singley figure shows' ,diagrammaueauy the movement and positioning of the exhaust gas throttle I0. If the throttle I0 is'in such'a posiytion that the exhaust gases may be discharged into the open through the ley-pass pipe II, the turbo-supercharger I3 will not be `actuatedsince the 'pipe Il will offer a minimum resistance to the ow of the exhaust gases, which will accord ingly then pass out into the atmosphere. However-,as the valve II) is 'closed the exhaust gases Awill iiow throughthe pipe I6 to drive the turbine I3' Vwhichwill then compress Athe air sucked in ."from the air intake Vpipe 'I2 N and supply such .charged air to the` supercharger I.through the i guide 6.

conduit I'I and the cooling device Il. The latter tends to remove some of the heat caused by the compression of the air by the supercharger I3.

As a safety precaution, the turbo-supercharger I3 drives a speed-responsive device I8 of any suitable, well-known character, through. suitable means such as the belt drive 3|. The speed-responsive device acts through the rod I9 upon a hinged joint 20 in the rod 8V to permit movement o1' the throttle I0 toward its open position'I under the action of the spring 30, whenever the maximum safe speed of the turbo-supercharger I3 has been exceeded. The collapsing of the rod 8 due to the actionvof the speedresponsive device I8, will not, however, eiect A the movement of the valve 3 of the supercharger I because of the play afforded by theslotted Unless the safe speed of the turbosupercharger I3 has been exceeded, the rod 8 will act as straight stiff link. j.

Particular attention is directed tothelinkage system interconnecting theV valves 3 and I II, which is in the form of a lost-motion connection.

As previously described, the rod 1 is interconnected with the lever 5 for the valve 3 through a slotted guide 6; similarly, the rod I is interconnected with the lever 9 yfor the valve II! through a second slotted guide 2|. The rods 'I and 8 are pivotally 'connected with one another upon the end of a rocker arm 22. Actuation of the linkage system` for control of the valves 3 and I0 may be effected either by suitable manual means under the control of the pilot or through a pressure-responsive device indicated at 23 and interconnected with the linkage system, as, for example, through thecontrol lever 4. The pressure-'responsive device 23 is preferably respon-V sive, as shown, to the pressure in the conduit 24 in frontY of the engine, and may take the form of any suitable pressure-responsive actuating mechanism such, for example, asthe 'wellknownv metallic ,bellows disclosed in the British Patent 450,587. Since the final object 'of this invention is tov control the supply o f chargedv air to the engine in response to the altitude of the. aeroplane, the regulating device 23 might also be responsive to atmospheric pressure. While the control of the valve 5 has b'een'illustrated as directly actuated bythe 'pressurere sponsive device, as is well known in the art an indirect servo-control could be used just as well.

The aforedescribed apparatuswill operate in the following manner: l, y

At low altitude, the ground supercharger I which is constantly driven by the engine, will supply a certain amount of airrunder pressure to the cylinder of the engine 2, depending'upon the setting of the valve 3. At this time the valve. I0 will be held in such a position' by suitable means such as a spring 30, that wthe exhaust gases collected in Vthe ring I5 will pass outwardly through the byepass pipe II and the turbo-supercharger I3 will therefore not be actuated.' 'I'he air for the ground charger I 'is therefore sucked through the air intake I2, passes through the supercharger I3", conduit I'I', the

cooling device vI4 and then over the valve 3 to the supercharger I. As the, aeroplane risesythe pressure-responsive device 23 will' act to open the valve 31 to ak greater degree until'a certain predetermined maximum supply of air is available to the supercharger I. VMovement oftheV Y valve 3. at this time will not,`howeverf, actuateA the exhaust valve I0. Although the lever 5 will press against the right end of the slot i to push the rod 'l to the right, the slot 2| in the inter.- connected rod '8 will prevent movement o1' the valve actuating lever 8. After a predetermined angular movement ot the valve l, however, theV rodsland 8 will have moved tosuchan extent that the` left end of thesl0tted8uide 2l will press against the Yend of the lever '8, so thatV any further movement of the valve 3 will actuafe `the lever 9 `to kclose the exhaust valveY II.I YAny hunting due tothe resulting increased pressure upon thedevice 23, and thus reverse movement of the valve 3'wi1l not an'ect the link rods 'I and 8 since the valve 3 may move reversely in the slotted guide 8 without affecting the position of the link rod. As the aeroplane descends, a

reverse' action will take place, theturbo-supercharger first being disconnected and the valve 3 gradually closing. If the tuxbo-supercharger I3 tends to run atexcessiverspeed. it vwill be controlled by the speed-,responsive device in the manner heretofore described;

It will accordinglybe seen that I have pro l vided an arrangement whereby the ground supercontrolling the ilow "charger and the turbo-'supercharger, ,seriallyV connected, are controlled by a single'pressuref responsive device in a manner which permits most eiilcient operation of an aeroplane 'engine throughout various altitudes of flight. VThe system hasjthe advantage of extreme simplicity and.

at the same time, has the furtheradvantage that Vthe turbo-supercharger is only'use'dfwhere necessary, thus preventing excessive use of this device which always operates under considerable` f stress and as a'result vhas been a constant source of trouble and expense. i s

K While the form of mechanism herein shownand described is admirably adapted to iuliili the objectsprimarily stated, it is to' be understood that it is not'intended to coniinev the invention to theorie form of embodiment herein disclosed, i'or itis susceptible of embodiment inV various# iormsalllcoming within the scope ot the claims which follow. Y I'claim': 1' f 1. In combination, an internalcombustion engine, afirst superchargerl driven thereby,a foonduit for supplying air under pressure from said nrst supercharger to saidV internal combustion engine, a second supercharger, means Yfor guiding air from said second superchargerrto said'iirst supercharger; an exhaust'turbine' 'drivably oo n-Y nected to said secondsupercharger, means for guiding theexhaust gases from' saidinternal combustion `engine to said exhaust turbineyay throttlevalve ink said air guidingmeans :I'Or cntrolling vthe ilow of air to said nrst supercharger, gas guiding means lor oi saidgases tosaid exhaust means in said exhaust turbine, a Alinkage system interconnectingjsaid throttle valve and exhaust gas controllingmeans, I

and a pressure-responsive devicic'a'ctuating said linkage system.

Ying said slotted guides. 'K

2. Thefcombination according to claim-iLifin which said Ylinkage fsystein includesL a lust"motionV connectionper-mitting partialv move'xent o'tz'said throttle valve'without accompanyingf'movement Y,

.of said exhaust. gascontrolling xn'eansr;V v Y 3. The .combination .according to claim lyin Y which saidplinkage systemfincludes .-a `pair of y.linksfpivotally connected .togethe'rfat vtheirlxiner end and having slotted guidesfat` their outer end and crank arms onsaid khaust gas controlling throttle valve andV exp Y ,means respectively-exigagf V 4. The combination according to claim 1, in combination with means responsive to a predetermined speed of said exhaust turbine, and means actuated by said speed-responsive means for controlling said exhaust gas controlling f means independently of said valve.

5. In an internal combustion engine for aeroplanes adapted to be supplied with air under pressure by two serially connected superchargers, one of which is driven by the engine and the other by a turbine actuated by the exhaust gases of the engine, the combination of a. rotatable valve for controlling the supply of air to the supercharger driven by the engine, means responsive to the change in pressure resulting from a change in altitude of said aeroplane for controlling said valve, means for controlling the supply of exhaust gases to said turbine, and a lost motion linkage interconnecting said valve and said exhaust gas controlling means, whereby the latter is only moved after a predetermined angular rotation of said valve.

6. The combination according to claim 5, in which said linkage includes a rocker-arm mounted for pivotal movement, 4a pair of links connected together at their inner end on said rockerarm and having slotted guides at their outer end, and crank arms on said rotary valveand exhaust gas controlling means respectively engaging said slotted guides.

30 7. The combination according to claim 5, in

which said linkage includes a rocker-arm mounted for pivotal movement, a pair of links pivotally connected together at their inner end on said rocker-arm and having slotted guidesv at their outer end, crank arms on said rotary valve and exhaust gas controlling means respectively engaging said slotted guides, the link' between said rocker-arm and said exhaust gas controlling Y means being formed as a\hinged collapsible rod,

means responsive to the speed of said exhaust turbine, and a rod actuated :byaid speed-responsive means and pivotally interconnected to the hinged portion of said rod for varying the exhaust gas controlling means.

8. In combination, an internal combustion eneine for aeroplanes, a first supercharger driven. thereby, a charging conduit for supplying air.'

gas controlling means, whereby the latter. is only ,f

moved after a predetermined angular rotation of said valve, and means responsive to the pressure in said charging conduit for rotating said ,valve and through said linkage and exhaust gas control means to' maintain a uniform pressure in the charging conduit in front of the engine.

ALFRED MLLER.. 

